Seeing how quickly his strength was growing, Kurosawa Raion couldn't help but feel excited about the future.
According to the system, once his ninja rank reached Chūnin (intermediate level), he would be able to draw his own bloodline limit. Once he advanced to Jōnin (advanced level), he could enter the land of the sages and unlock Sage Mode.
"What kind of bloodline limit will I awaken?"
Kimimaro's Shikotsumyaku (Dead Bone Pulse)?The Hyuga clan's Byakugan?Ranmaru's Red Eye?Or even the Uchiha's Sharingan?
And where would he go to train in Sage Mode?Mount Myōboku?Ryūchi Cave?Shikkotsu Forest?
Raion didn't have the answers—but just imagining these possibilities made his blood race.
Still, that was all far in the future. Right now, he hadn't even mastered the Rasengan, let alone awakened a bloodline limit or touched Sage Mode.
Time to snap out of the fantasy and focus on what matters: training.
Raion returned to the shallows near the island and gathered chakra at his feet. Without hesitation, he stepped forward...
And this time—
Success!
Thanks to the constant practice over the past two days, and the cell activation from eating the two-tailed saber-toothed lion, Raion now stood firmly atop the surface of the sea.
He carefully walked forward across the water. Aside from a few faint ripples, it felt no different from walking on land.
Filled with joy, Raion ran several nautical miles across the sea—his chakra control now firmly under his command.
When he returned to land, it was proof he had succeeded.Walking freely atop the sea is something that most Devil Fruit users in this world could only dream of.
And now he could do it.
Marine Headquarters... Marineford.Holy Land... Mary Geoise.Grand Line.The Four Emperors. The Three Admirals. The Five Elders. The Seven Warlords...
This world—I'm coming for it.
Let the journey begin!
Over the next three days, his small ship cut across the waves. Eventually, Raion spotted three islands in the distance.
In this world, whenever pirates or marines reach an island, they take the chance to rest and resupply—especially to gather scarce food and freshwater.
Raion thought the same: "Let's rest here for a bit."
But just as that thought crossed his mind, the calm sea ahead suddenly twisted, forming a massive whirlpool nearly eight meters wide. From it, a gigantic sea creature burst forth!
It had a huge lizard-like head, black-and-white striped skin, razor-sharp teeth, and a spiny fin running down its back. The monster was easily twelve or thirteen meters long.
Raion immediately recognized it.
A Sea King... or at least a juvenile one.If it were fully grown, it would've capsized my boat in a single hit...
Normally, Sea Kings were found in the Calm Belt, not the East Blue. But a few do stray into other oceans, though rarely.
Talk about luck—first, I randomly eat meat that boosts my chakra... and now this?I should seriously buy a lottery ticket...
While he was still mentally complaining, the Sea King lunged—its mouth wide open, fangs dripping with sea foam.
Raion leapt toward the stern of the boat.
CRUNCH!
The creature bit clean through the front half of his ship, tearing it to splinters.
Raion's boat was cut in half.
Despite their fearsome size, Sea Kings aren't particularly strong when it comes to raw combat—it's their massive presence that terrifies most. Ordinary sailors freeze in fear, but true warriors treat them as little more than overgrown fish.
That's why Raion hadn't panicked at first.
But he hadn't expected the beast to attack without hesitation.
"You bastard! Look what you did to my ship!"
Lightning crackled across Raion's body, fueled by rage.
Lightning Style: Chidori Current!
Electricity surged over his body as he lunged at the monster. The moment he touched it, the sea beast convulsed violently. The salt water around them only amplified the damage.
In seconds, its massive body turned black, smoking as it sank lifelessly into the ocean.
The beast was dead.
But Raion's situation wasn't great either. The remaining half of his boat was now slowly sinking...
But—
Raion stood firmly on the water, his chakra anchoring him in place.
Hard work pays off.
Without a ship, Raion ran across the sea toward the nearest of the three islands. Anyone who saw him would've thought him some kind of immortal swordsman or martial arts master.
Like something out of a wuxia novel—Qinggong, walking on water...
After running several nautical miles, he finally stepped onto the island.
He immediately began asking around—specifically, if there were any pirates with bounties nearby.
Raion was now effectively a pirate hunter. And in his current situation, he needed money—and a lot of it—to grow stronger.
But to the island's locals, he looked like a madman.
Who in their right mind goes around politely asking if any pirates are nearby? Most people would run at the mention of pirates. They'd rather hide than risk attracting attention.
In any world, civilians are the majority. We often see epic battles in anime, but in reality, only a small handful of elites ever wield such power. That's why even people with bounties of a few million can boast of being "masters."
In truth, most pirates in this world are just criminals—thieves, murderers, scum.The Straw Hat Crew might be different, more like adventurers, but they're an exception.
So when Raion asked about pirates, most people just stared at him like he was insane.
One girl in particular gave him a sharp look. Hands on her hips, she said bluntly:
"Where the hell are you from? You don't even know your own strength, and you're going around asking about pirates like it's a joke?"
Her voice was pleasant, but her words were cold and biting.
Raion could only smile and shake his head.
No point arguing with women.
He continued asking around, undeterred.
Eventually, his persistence paid off.
He learned that there was indeed a pirate crew nearby—with a combined bounty of 15 million Berries.